Author: James Goyder

Mixed martial arts (MMA) in Thailand is booming after the sold out success of last weekend’s ONE Championship show (more on that here) and fight fans in the city won’t have to wait too long to get another fix.

This Saturday night (June 4, 2016) sees Full Metal Dojo (FMD) return to the Insanity Nightclub with a nine fight card headlined by a light heavyweight fight between Brazilian Marcelo Tenorio (2-1) and Askar Mozharov (4-1) from Ukraine. All the action will be shown on a delayed broadcast by the True Visions network in Thailand.

The card also features a fight which will pit two fighters from rival nations against one another inside the FMD cage. Iran’s Ali Motamed (1-0) who has enjoyed tremendous success on the local amateur scene will be going up against Israeli debutante Toni Hitmanos (0-0).

The full fight card is below:

185 lbs.: Marcelo Tenorio (2-1) vs. Askar Mozharov (4–1)
135 lbs.: Ali Motamed (1-0) vs. Toni Hitmanos (0-0)
155 lbs.: Jaroslav Jartim (5-4-1) vs. Eric Uresk (8-6)
135 lbs.: Thanongsaklek “Top Noi” (0-1) vs. Danilo Sarmiento (2-0)
155 lbs.: Leal de la Torre (0-0) vs. Trevor McKenzie (0-0)
170 lbs.: Amr Elgohary (1-0) vs. Liam Panda Lockyer (0-0)
105 lbs.: Audreylaura Boniface Raphael (1-0) vs. Sunisa Srisan (0-0)
115 lbs.: Wisava Kaweewarakorn (0-1) vs. Weerayuth Pinyopon (0-1)
125 lbs.: Jaktan Tangjan (0-3) vs. Athit Majunung (2-1)

For more on FMD 10 click here.

ONE: “Kingdom of Champions” is set for the Impact Arena in Bangkok this Friday night (May 27, 2016) and will be the first time that Asia’s biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion has held an event in Thailand.

Fortunately for ONE Championship there are already plenty of local fighters on the roster including reigning strawweight champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke and all eyes will be on the Thai as he defends his belt against Yoshitaka Naito.

There is also a featherweight title fight with Marat Gafurov defending his strap against Japanese veteran Kazunori Yokota making this one of the best ONE Championship cards of the year. Here’s my preview of the first half of the card, weights listed are the fighter’s walking weights.

125 lbs.: Kev Hemmorlor vs Kritsada Konsrichai

This pits two veterans of top Thai promotion Full Metal Dojo together. Kritsada Konsrichai (3-2) won the organization’s bantamweight title but has subsequently dropped down to divisions and will be fighting for ONE Championship as a strawweight.

Kev Hemmorlor (0-1) was submitted in the opening round of his Full Metal Dojo (FMD) fight and will have his work cut out against an opponent who is a seasoned wrestler and trains under Bangkok based Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) veteran Tommy Hayden. Konsrichai a strong favorite here.

125 lbs.: Pongsiri Mitsatit vs Ye Thway Ne

Thailand already has one strawweight ONE champion and several more contenders are waiting in the wings. Leading the way is Pongsiri Mitsatit (6-0) who is a veteran of 100-plus Muay Thai fights and has been training MMA at Team Quest in Chiang Mai for several years.

He might not have quite the same Muay Thai credentials as Dejdamrong but at just 19 years of age Mitsatit has a head start on the reigning ONE strawweight champion. His opponent Ye Thway Ne hails from Myanmar and is making his debut. It would be a massive shock if he was to succeed in becoming the first fighter to defeat the teenager.

137 lbs.: Yodsanan Sityodtong vs Chrech Kosal

Anyone thinking that Yodsanan Sityodtong (1-1) had lost his speed and power at the age of 41 would be well advised to check out this recent training footage. His walking weight is also below 140 pounds which suggests he has always stayed in shape despite the lack of recent action in the ring or cage.

Yodsanan was a boxing world champion and has also been training Muay Thai since he was a child. He has some of the best striking credentials out of any fighter currently active in the MMA world and Cambodia’s Chrech Kosal (2-1) will need to have a very strong wrestling and grappling game to get anything out of this.

155 lbs.: Christian Lee vs Rocky Batol Batol

This fight was presumably booked for a future ONE Championship card but got moved forward after Anatpong Bunrad suffered a serious knee injury causing the cancellation of his fight with Eugene Toquero. Although Christian Lee (4-0) is still only 17 he already looks to be too good for anyone outside of the division’s elite.

Batol Batol (5-0) comes from a boxing background but is a well rounded stand up fighter who is dangerous with head kicks. He will be no match for Christian Lee (4-0) who will probably look to take this fight down in order to give the Filipino no chance of landing a lucky punch.

170lbs.: Shannon Wiratchai  vs Kyal Linn Aung

Shannon Wiratchai (4-1-0-1) doesn’t fight frequently but is always fun to watch and has surprisingly good striking for a fighter with a background in Judo. He made his pro debut in 2011 and fought for ONE Championship a few months later so has much more MMA experience than his record suggests.

Kyal Linn Aung (1-0) went the distance on his ONE Championship debut in an extremely entertaining fight with another Burmese fighter. Myanmar’s a long way behind Thailand in MMA terms so Shannon is the strong favorite but this has the potential to be a fun fight.

ONE: “Kingdom of Champions’ is set for Impact Arena in Bangkok this Friday night (local time). it will be broadcast on various networks all over the world and can be purchased for $9.99 USD from www.oneppv.com.

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ONE: “Ascent to Power” is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium this Friday night (May 6, 2016) and it looks likely to be one of the promotion’s biggest and best attended fight cards of the year with local favorite Angela Lee set to challenge for the inaugural women’s atomweight title in the main event.

There is also the intrigue of seeing a Gracie challenge for a major mixed martial arts (MMA) title for the first time in decades as Roger takes on undefeated Polish fighter Michael Pasternak for the organization’s inaugural light heavyweight belt. Meanwhile, former champions Kotetsu Boku and Narantungalag Jadambaa will be going head-to-head in arguably the fight of the night.

As always with ONE Championship, weights listed are the fighter’s walking weights. Here’s my preview of the first five fights on the card.

194lbs.: Brad Robinson vs Agilan Thani

This fight was put together at relatively short notice but is a big one in terms of the South East Asian scene. Brad Robinson (3-1) is a local celebrity in Singapore who co-presents a TV show but trains very seriously and is good on the ground.

Agilan Thani (4-0) came up through the burgeoning amateur scene in Malaysia and none of the nine opponents he’s faced to date have been able to cope with his grappling skills. Robinson is 16 years the senior so this is a matchup which pits youth against experience and might well go the distance.

170lbs.: Ma Jia Wen vs Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev

Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev (2-0) hails from Dagestan but is based in Turkey and earned a ONE Championship contract after flying out to Singapore to participate in a tryout. He has a background in Combat Sambo and displayed a devastatingly effective brand of aggression on his promotional debut.

None of the Chinese fighters signed by ONE so far have exactly taken the scene by storm and Ma Jia Wen (2-1) hasn’t done much to stand out from the crowd. He likes to plant his feet and throw bombs which could make for an entertaining brawl but the Russian will be the favorite.

155lbs.: Benedict Ang vs Jimmy Yabo

One of several Evolve MMA fighters on this card, Benedict Ang (2-0) will need to have his wits about him when he faces an opponent coming off one of the fastest knockouts in the promotion’s history. The Singaporean is well rounded but likes a takedown and might look to get this fight to the ground as soon as possible.

Yabo (5-2) comes from a Taekwondo background and should be full of confidence after that quickfire KO of Bashir Ahmad. He’s a counter fighter who will want Ang to chase him but the Singaporean is too well trained to fall into that trap and will probably win a decision.

170 lbs.: Chang Ching Hsiung vs Amir Khan

Whichever way you choose to spell his name (and there are a few different versions knocking around) Chang Ching Hsiung (4-3-1) is a decorated Sanda practitioner who has been competing in professional MMA since his opponent was a schoolboy.

Amir Khan (4-2) has a strong Muay Thai background and a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and might look to take this one to the ground. With three wins in his last three fights, Hsiung has some momentum and if both decide to stand and bang this could be a classic clash of striking styles.

155 lbs.: Christian Lee vs Cary Bullos

While all eyes will be on Angela Lee as she fights for a title in the main event her younger brother is arguably an even more exciting prospect. Christian Lee (3-0) showcased some superb striking skills in his last fight and has finished all three of his ONE opponents in the third round.

Cary Bullos (7-3) is an experienced and aggressive kickboxer who will be happy to go toe to toe with Lee and that could mean fireworks. The Singaporean’s ability to stay in the pocket and use his head movement to slip punches and counter is truly a sight to behold and this should be a fun, fast fight.

ONE: “Ascent to Power” will be broadcast live all over Asia by FOX Sports and by various other networks worldwide. The pay-per-view (PPV) can be purchased for $9.99 from: http://onefc.com/livestream.

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Being able to win fights is one thing but being able to finish opponents in the first round is quite another. Christian Lee’s mixed martial arts (MMA) career is still in its infancy but the 17-year-old phenom has already put away three different fighters inside the opening five minutes.

He only made his pro debut last year but Lee is already a multiple time Pankration world champion and says that aggression has always been a big part of his game.

“I have always been an aggressive fighter. When I get in there to fight I have only one goal, and that’s to finish my opponent as quickly as possible.”

Pankration tournaments don’t attract much publicity but Lee has been thrust straight into the spotlight by Asia’s biggest MMA promotion. He’s competing at ONE: “Ascent to Power” this Friday (May 6, 2016) at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and a crowd in excess of 10,000 people is expected.

It’s a big step up for the teenager to make but he says the lessons he learned competing in submission grappling and Pankration have served him well.

“I treat it (professional MMA) exactly the same. The stakes are much higher but I still come in with the same focus and intensity as all of my past fights.”

He is going up against Cary Bullos on Friday, an experienced Filipino fighter who was a champion in his homeland before signing for ONE Championship. Sooner or later Lee will probably encounter an opponent good enough to go the distance with him but he doesn’t expect that this will be the week.

“I think Cary Bullos’s main strength is the fact that he goes out on his shield. In all of his fights he’s either finished his opponent or been finished, so I know that he’ll be coming for the kill.”

Lee is currently in Singapore training at Evolve MMA and he’s been picking up tips from one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport.

“This trip was the first time I was able to train alongside Rafael dos Anjos and it was a great experience. He is a very technical fighter and open to sharing all his knowledge with the team.”

Lee’s Father is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt and training for this fight has been a family affair.

“For this fight and all of my past fights, I have been trained by my head coach and Father Ken Lee at United MMA along with the guidance of all my fellow coaches and teammates at Evolve MMA.”

However he will not be the only Lee fighting at the Singapore Indoor Stadium this Friday night. His sister Angela is challenging for the inaugural women’s atomweight title in the main event and Christian says he plans to be cageside to cheer her on.

“Every time Angela and I fight, we are always in each other’s corner, no matter the circumstances. I can’t put into words how extremely proud I am of Angela. She has been my best friend and role model for as long as I can remember and I’m so excited to see her fight for that title.”

Lee is aiming to follow in his sister’s footsteps by challenging for a ONE Championship title but the featherweight division is stacked and for the time being he’s just happy to keep that perfect professional record intact.

“I would like to fight for that ONE belt as soon as possible, but my main goal is to continue racking up as many wins as possible until then.”

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Everyone knows the impact which the Gracie family has had on mixed martial arts (MMA), but it’s been a while since anyone bearing that surname won a belt. That  could all change on Friday night (local time) because Roger Gracie is challenging for the inaugural ONE Championship light heavyweight belt.

The sport of MMA has evolved rapidly and the Gracies are finding that BJJ alone isn’t enough to be competitive at an elite level inside the cage. There’s a perception that the family has been left behind and Roger will have a point to prove when facing Michael Pasternak at ONE: “Global Rivals”,

“I think when I become an MMA world champion it will be a big step for my family. A lot of people say that the Gracie’s are left behind or are not up to the standards… that will change though.”

The fight is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium and Gracie will be going up against an undefeated Polish opponent. Both men are coming off impressive ONE debuts and the Brazilian says he is not intimidated by Pasternak’s perfect professional record,

“I’m fighting someone that’s fought 11 times and has never lost. For a weaker person that can play a lot on their mind because their opponent is undefeated but its not something that I care about. He could have 50 wins and no defeats it doesn’t matter. He’ll have his first (loss) when he fights me.”

With the belt being on the line there is added pressure but Gracie knows all about pressure and is confident he will be able to cope with it better than Pasternak. It’s something he has been dealing with all his life,

“To carry the Gracie name is heavy. It’s a lot of weight on your back, there is a lot of pressure on you, people always hope that you succeed. Everyone expects me to be good already. If you learn how to deal with it you can use it in your favor. If you don’t it’s very hard to succeed.”

Gracie’s credentials as a BJJ black belt and multiple time world champion are well documented. But in his last fight he showcased a completely different aspect to his MMA game by finishing kickboxing and Muay Thai veteran James MCSweeney with strikes.

It’s an outcome which no-one could have predicted but the Brazilian says he was in no hurry to get the fight to the ground,

“My last fight I wasn’t really trying to prove anything on the stand up, it was just something that happened. My strategy in that fight was keeping the fight standing up, not rushing to take the fight down. I was taking my time… I was feeling better and better on the stand up. I tried to shoot twice and he escaped and I saw him running away so I kept the fight standing.”

Gregor, Igor and Roger Gracie have all fought for ONE Championship in the past while Kron Gracie is currently fighting for Rizin FF and Neimar Gracie is signed to Bellator. However the family doesn’t quite dominate MMA to the extend that it did during the days of Renzo and Royce and Roger puts his down to the modern rules and regulations,

“If you realize the whole idea of Gracie Jiu Jitsu is that it’s a long fight, to neutralize your opponent until he’s tired or until he’s submitted, once you put time limits you don’t have that choice. It becomes a lot more physical. It sort of takes away the principle of Gracie Jiu Jitsu but at the same time then it becomes more competitive and more equal because you don’t have the advantage of just trying to defend and neutralize your opponent.”

However Gracie can be quietly confident that his ground game is superior to that of any opponent he’s ever going to face in MMA competition. So while he’s getting more comfortable with his striking the Brazilian’s unlikely to pass up an opportunity to take the fight to the ground,

“A TKO is not something I’m looking for (but) If there’s a big strike that connects obviously that’s welcome. If there’s an opportunity for me to take the fight down then that will happen for sure. I think (Pasternak) is an intermediate level (grappler), not even expert level. But MMA is not a grappling match and that makes everyone dangerous you’re not only grappling with him, you’re fighting.”

It’s a lesson that Gracie has sometimes learned the hard way during an MMA career that has seen him compete under the banners of Strikeforce, UFC and now ONE Championship. But with the benefit of experience, he has adapted his style and the Brazilian believes he is the best he has ever been heading into ONE: “Ascent to Power”,

“This belt came at the perfect timing.This is the best I’ve ever been there’s no denying that. Physically I’m in my prime, mentally I’m the strongest I’ve ever been. Today I’m the best fighter I’ve ever been.”

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Benedict Ang only turned 20 a couple of weeks ago but the Singaporean featherweight has already got his pro mixed martial arts (MMA) career off to the best possible start. He’s won two fights out of two for Asia’s biggest promotion and will be back in action at ONE: “Ascent to Power” next month.

In his most recent outing the Singaporean was thrown in with experienced Indonesian Yohan Legowo and needed just two rounds to finish an opponent 15 years his senior. The Indonesian was a veteran of 10 fights and this was a particularly satisfying victory for Ang.

“I stuck to the game plan given and I believe that performance was a methodical dissection of a vastly more experienced opponent. With that being said, there are still many things for me to fix and learn. I am still no where near my full potential and I am always improving my craft. I was very pleased with the performance but the best is yet to come.

It represented quite a step up for Ang who would have been just six years old when Legowo made his pro debut but the Singaporean says he took it all in his stride.

“I wasn’t nervous about fighting someone as experienced as Legowo. I was just excited about the challenge. I train with the best team in the world, Evolve MMA, and when you are surrounded by a world championship team you have absolute confident in your preparation and your ability to come out victorious.”

Next up is an opponent who already has five wins on his record. Jimmy Yabo needed just 21 seconds to finish Bashir Ahmad in his last fight and Ang is determined not to leave any openings for the Filipino to potentially exploit.

“I saw that fight and I wasn’t surprised because Yabo is a decent counter fighter and Bashir ran at him too eagerly leaving himself too open. A mistake I will not make.”

Ang recently won two gold medals at the Singapore National Wrestling Open. He trains alongside Ben Askren at Evolve MMA and says he’s been working hard on this aspect of his game.

“I enjoy wrestling. I am really inspired by the dominance of Ben Askren’s wrestling and the way he takes people down and keep them there is really nice to watch. I am definitely proud of those medals as I put in a lot of time in pure wrestling prior to that tournament.”

Ang is studying for a diploma in sports coaching but says he is able to train on a full time basis and fulfill all his academic commitments. His Singaporean team mate Angela Lee will be challenging for a ONE Championship title in the main event of ONE: “Ascent to Power” and that match up is already the talk of the town.

“There’s definitely a lot of excitement surrounding her title fight. She’s been really impressive since making her MMA debut with ONE Championship and we are all fully behind her. She has an amazing opportunity to be ONE Championship’s first female MMA World Champion and we’re all very proud of her.”

Ang went 6-0 as an amateur before signing with ONE. He’s already fought twice at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and his career has enjoyed a remarkable steep trajectory.

“The jump from the amateur circuit straight into Asia’s best organization has been surreal but it’s the perfect platform for me to achieve my dreams of becoming a world champion. I do sometimes get recognized on the street in Singapore but it doesn’t affect me, I fight because it’s my passion and not for fame.”

It is nearly six months since Ang last stepped inside the cage but he hasn’t taken any time off and promises to show some new tricks when he faces Yabo on May 6.

“I have been training as always with Head Coach Heath Sims, Eddie Ng, Leandro Issa, Bruno Pucci, Amir Khan, Dejdamrong Sor Annuaysirichok and Kru Yod. Continuously improving my craft in each aspect of my game and adding new weapons, I always look to bring something new and exciting each time I step into the cage.”

The popularity of MMA in Singapore is skyrocketing and Ang is one of a handful of local fighters making a name for themselves on the international stage. He feels patriotic pride is at stake every time he steps into the cage and is determined to secure what would be a third straight ONE Championship victory next month.

“Nothing excites me more than being victorious in front of my home crowd and flying the Singapore flag high with pride.”